Oral information
Allowed, if a written list of the allergens in each dish exists and is available to guests and inspectors, and a visible notice tells guests that they can ask.
Allergen rules for restaurants in Germany.
Restaurants and cafés must declare the 14 allergens in loose (non-prepacked) food. The information can be on the menu, on signs or in a folder, or be given orally by staff if a written list exists and guests are told about it.
- Legal basis
- LMIV (EU 1169/2011) and the Lebensmittelinformations-Durchführungsverordnung (LMIDV)
- Enforced by
- Local food control authorities (Lebensmittelüberwachung)
- Written information
- Written or oral
- Oral information
- Yes, with written list and notice
What you need to do
- Declare the 14 allergens for every dish and drink, before the guest orders.
- Written options: footnotes on the menu (e.g. letters for allergens), allergens written next to the dish, a list at the end of the menu with a note on every page, or a folder that links each dish to its allergens.
- If you inform orally, keep a written list of the allergens in each dish for guests and inspectors.
- Show a visible notice, for example on the menu: “Ask our staff for the written allergen list.”
QR code menus
Local guidance lists digital information as one possible form, but doesn’t describe QR codes. A written list on the premises is required for oral information anyway, so keep a printed version available.
Calories
There is no general rule requiring calories on restaurant menus in Germany.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and local authorities may interpret them differently; check with your food authority. Last checked: October 2026.
With Menuvola
Written allergen information, kept in sync.
Menuvola doesn’t replace your food authority’s guidance for Germany, but it gives you the written, dish-by-dish information most rules expect, in every format.
- 14 allergens per dishIngredients, allergens and calories are required for every item; incomplete items stay in draft.
- Printed allergen sheetPrint an A4 or A3 allergen and calorie sheet from the same data for guests who can’t or don’t want to scan.
- QR menu with a noticeTable cards and the printed menu carry a notice that allergen information is available.
- Suggestions, not guessesAs you type ingredients, the panel suggests possible allergens (e.g. “butter” → milk); you confirm them.
- Four languagesMenus and printed documents in English, German, Russian and Turkish.
- kcal and kJA calorie calculator built on an ingredient database, shown per portion.
Questions you may have.
Can staff give allergen information orally in Germany?
Allowed, if a written list of the allergens in each dish exists and is available to guests and inspectors, and a visible notice tells guests that they can ask.
Is a QR code menu enough in Germany?
Local guidance lists digital information as one possible form, but doesn’t describe QR codes. A written list on the premises is required for oral information anyway, so keep a printed version available.
Do restaurants in Germany have to show calories?
There is no general rule requiring calories on restaurant menus in Germany.
Try Menuvola free for 14 days.
Set up your menu, print your allergen sheet and see how it works for your business. No card needed.
